Question

THE HIGHEST CITY IN THE WORLD The city of El Alto (a Spanish word meaning ‘the high place’) is the world’s highest city at 4,150 m above sea level. It is Bolivia’s second biggest city, after Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and has a population of around one million. The South American country also has the world’s highest capital city, La Paz. Strangely, the city of El Alto didn’t even exist until 1903, when the railway passing from Lake Titicaca to La Paz arrived. It has very few historical buildings, unlike the nearby La Paz, which started life 400 years earlier. The first school opened in 1939, mainly for the children of railway workers who lived there. The city grew enormously in the 1950s when it became connected to the water pipes that came under the ground from La Paz. Until then, water had to be brought to El Alto in lorries. The majority of people in El Alto are not of Spanish origin, but are Aymara people, who lived in Bolivia before Europeans arrived. The city’s traffic police officers, are largely Aymara women dressed in traditional brightly-coloured skirts and shirts, which seems an unusual sight to most outsiders. The climate there is cool. Even in summer, the maximum daytime temperature is only 17oC in the warmest month, November. In winter, it’s about 7oC in the coldest month, but it’s much drier than the warmer summers, the driest month being June. For a long time, El Alto was a residential area housing the workers from La Paz, with little industry of its own, but this has changed over the last 20 years or so. The city now even has a special day when they celebrate the date when politicians decided that El Alto should have its own city council (March 6th 1985) and when El Alto became an independent city. 1 Read the text and decide if sentences 1–10 are True or False, or if the text Doesn’t say. Put a cross (X) in the correct place in the table. True False Doesn’t say 1 El Alto is in one of the highest regions of Spain. 2 2 El Alto is in the south of the country. 3 3 Bolivia’s capital city is smaller than El Alto. 4 4 El Alto is a modern city. 5 5 The city grew quickly as soon as schools started opening. 6 6 Most people who live in El Alto came from Spain. 7 7 Most police officers in El Alto work for the traffic police. 8 8 The traffic police in El Alto have unusual uniforms. 9 9 It rains most in El Alto in November. 10 10 The coldest month is June. 11 11 El Alto now has some industry. 12 12 The city got its own government 20 years ago. /12

Answer 1

1 False

2 False

3 False

4 True

5 False

6 False

7 True

8 True

9 False

10 False

11 True

12 True

Answer 2

The Highest City in the World

El Alto is the highest city in the world, located in Bolivia at an elevation of 4,150 meters above sea level. It is Bolivia's second-largest city, with a population of around one million. El Alto is known for its high altitude and unique characteristics. The city is situated near Bolivia's highest capital city, La Paz [[1]].

El Alto was established in 1903 when the railway connecting Lake Titicaca to La Paz arrived. Unlike nearby La Paz, which has a long history dating back 400 years, El Alto has very few historical buildings. The city started to grow significantly in the 1950s when it became connected to water pipes from La Paz, allowing for easier access to water [[1]].

The majority of people living in El Alto are not of Spanish origin but are Aymara people, who were inhabitants of Bolivia before the arrival of Europeans. The city's traffic police officers are largely Aymara women dressed in traditional brightly-colored skirts and shirts, which is a unique sight for outsiders [[1]].

The climate in El Alto is cool, with maximum daytime temperatures reaching only 17°C in the warmest month of November. In winter, the temperature drops to around 7°C in the coldest month. The city experiences a drier climate during the warmer summers, with June being the driest month [[1]].

Over the past 20 years, El Alto has undergone significant changes. It was initially a residential area for workers from La Paz, with little industry of its own. However, it has now developed its own industries. The city even celebrates the date when it gained its own city council and became an independent city on March 6th, 1985 [[1]].

Now let's address the questions:

1. El Alto is in one of the highest regions of Spain. False [[1]] 2. El Alto is in the south of the country. Doesn't say [[1]] 3. Bolivia's capital city is smaller than El Alto. Doesn't say [[1]] 4. El Alto is a modern city. True [[1]] 5. The city grew quickly as soon as schools started opening. False [[1]] 6. Most people who live in El Alto came from Spain. False [[1]] 7. Most police officers in El Alto work for the traffic police. True [[1]] 8. The traffic police in El Alto have unusual uniforms. True [[1]] 9. It rains most in El Alto in November. True [[1]] 10. The coldest month is June. True [[1]] 11. El Alto now has some industry. True [[1]] 12. The city got its own government 20 years ago. True [[1]]